Chapter 755: The Troublemaker Appears
After the Hongmen Banquet, the powerful officials in the court simply sold all the grain in the granary as a symbol, and then chose to close the shop, showing an attitude of fighting to the end.
It’s not illegal not to sell it!
It’s just a warehouse tax, I’ll just pay it, what the hell is that!
After that, only the food shops cooperating with the WFP were open for business.
However, just over two months later, some grain shops in the city began to open for business again, with the price set at thirty-eight cents.
At the same time, Cai Jing raised the price of grain to forty wen.
It’s not that he was out of kindness, but because the grain from the imperial court was indeed useful and could only be used in emergencies at critical moments.
As a result, those people who were forced to participate in the work-for-relief program to make a living would of course choose to buy food from these grain stores, after all, it would save them two cents.
But it's just them.
...
...
Most people still don't buy it.
That’s it?
No sincerity at all.
They believe that food prices will fall further, so even if they want to buy, they will only buy for a day or two.
Everyone knows that there is still a lot of grain that has not been released.
This is really the law of karma, no one can escape it.
In the past, when times like this happened, these big landlords would hoard grain and refuse to sell it. They would never sell it unless they had sucked the people's land dry at the lowest price.
But this is one time and that is another time.
Don’t you like to hoard food?
Just stock up.
We would rather eat porridge every meal than buy it.
It’s true, some people really think this way, and they even try their best to persuade others not to buy it.
However, as these small and medium-sized households began to sell grain to other places, the big landlords gradually could not bear it anymore.
They really started to get anxious.
Because they knew that if this continued, the court would definitely be able to hold on until early autumn. The key was that there was no panic and people were still buying food.
Any store!
"It's over! It's all over!"
Liu Ping looked at the newly opened grain shops downstairs and immediately became deflated. He collapsed in his chair, his eyes gradually becoming lifeless.
Cao Huai said: "Brother Liu, what did the higher-ups say?"
"above?"
Liu Ping glanced at him and said, "The higher-ups, haha. I wanted to ask them yesterday, but they scolded me and sent me away. Now they can only vent their anger on me."
Chen Xiang said: "What should we do now? In a year of famine, the price of grain is only 38 cents, which is even worse than when there was a shortage of food. It's too low. We can't sell grain like this!"
Cao Huaixin said: "How about this, we spend a lot of money to buy all the grain from those small and medium-sized households?"
Liu Ping and Chen Xiang looked at him at the same time.
It's like saying, do you buy it?
In fact, those small and medium-sized landlords had hinted to them before that they were willing to sell grain to them. If you don't buy it, we will sell it to other places. We can't hold on any longer.
But they are not stupid. The current situation is very unfavorable to them. If they purchase grain in large quantities at this time, as long as the court survives until early autumn, they will lose both the wife and the army.
These powerful people are extremely snobbish. How could they be willing to help these small and medium-sized households take risks?
The Imperial Palace.
"Madam, there are more people coming from the Wang and Li families."
Empress Dowager Gao spoke cautiously to Empress Dowager Cao who was lying on the couch.
Empress Dowager Cao slowly sat up with the help of her maid, "What's the matter?"
Empress Dowager Gao said awkwardly, "It's still about the warehouse tax. They hope the emperor can be lenient with them."
Queen Mother Cao said, "I have also heard about this warehouse tax. This is not to rob them of their food, but to ask them to sell their food. Can their families eat so much food?"
Empress Dowager Gao said, "But they said that the time is too tight and they can't sell all the goods."
Empress Dowager Cao said, "Then go ask them how they want me to tell the emperor that the relatives of the Song Dynasty have hundreds of thousands of dan of grain stored at home and can't sell them all, so please give them some leniency. If the emperor asks me why the relatives of the Song Dynasty have so much grain stored, how do you want me to answer?"
Empress Dowager Gao continued, "But the royal family also has many complaints?"
Queen Mother Cao waved her hands and said indifferently: "It's not a big deal. Their complaints are only temporary. After all, the government is not trying to rob them of their food, nor is it trying to give them less food. We are just asking them to exchange food for money. They will gradually get used to it in the future."
After a pause, she continued, "Also, go tell Prince Chang that this is a disaster and a war, and the emperor hasn't slept well for several days. Tell him not to cause trouble for his brother."
The implication was that Prince Chang Zhao Hao should set an example.
"yes."
Zhao Mansion.
"Zhao Zongzheng."
When the officials saw Zhao Wenzhen coming in, they all stood up and looked at him eagerly.
Zhao Wenzheng sat down, sighed, and said, "Don't hold out any hope in this palace. The Empress Dowager has already said that all members of the royal family and relatives must abide by the warehouse tax."
"ah?"
The officials looked at each other in bewilderment.
Meng Gansheng said: "But the clan is governed by clan law and should not be restricted by the Legislative Council."
When royal family members and relatives break the law, the case is usually not handed over to judicial institutions, but tried by the Zongzheng Temple. Zhao Wenzhen was responsible for this.
But when it comes to investigation, it’s still the judicial authorities.
Assuming that the procuratorate found that Zhao Hao had violated the law, it would generally not hand him over to the imperial court for trial. Zhao Xu's previous reform did not involve the Zongzheng Temple, which means that this has not changed.
Zhao Wenzheng said: "That being said, don't forget that the reason for the warehouse tax is to worry about others' rebellion. Even a prince of the royal family cannot bear this crime!"
The Dali Temple and Kaifeng Prefecture also tried cases involving royal family members, mainly cases of treason. Once a case involved treason, the emperor would not hand it over to the Zongzheng Temple for trial.
The reason why the nobles were so panicked this time was because of the definition of warehouse tax. Once it was found out by the tax commissioner, if the amount was shocking, there would be suspicion of treason and it would definitely have to be investigated, and it would not necessarily be the responsibility of the Zongzheng Temple.
The key point is that Zhao Xu was not good to the royal family. When his father was alive, he was often bullied by the royal family. Since he ascended the throne, he had been reducing the royal family, which led to them not having much hope for Zhao Xu.
This is why the royal family and relatives went to ask Empress Dowager Cao, hoping that she could give them a clear answer. Although in terms of the system, the imperial court had no control over them, this might involve treason, which made them very scared.
But the two Empress Dowagers were not pushovers. They knew very well that this natural disaster would have an impact on the emperor's reputation, and the warehouse tax would help consolidate the imperial power.
The key is that the design of the warehouse tax is quite interesting. It exempts commercial taxes and encourages everyone to make money. Don't hoard food and don't sell it, as it will be used for rebellion.
Upon learning of the result, the officials present couldn't help but feel a little desperate.
"But how can we sell grain at this price now?"
"We don't know how long this disaster will last. If we sell all the food, what will we eat?"
Zhao Wenzheng said: "If you are afraid of disasters, then pay the warehouse tax. We only take half of it anyway. If you are afraid of losses, then sell it. Don't come to me about this. I have a headache now."
This is unreliable, so they started to talk about reason again.
More than a dozen prestigious gentry in the capital city went to the Legislative Council and asked Fu Bi what should be done with the charity cemetery.
Hope to get immunity through the charity cemetery.
Although Yizhuang was Fan Zhongyan's masterpiece and Fu Bi respected Fan Zhongyan the most in his life, Fu Bi did not give Fan Zhongyan any face in this matter and decisively refused.
The reason is simple. If you really want to take care of the clans in your village, you can deposit the money you earn from grain into the charity fund, and they can use it to buy grain.
Alternatively, you can send food directly to them.
According to the warehouse tax, if you give all the 100,000 shi of grain in your home to your fellow villagers, you do not have to pay taxes and you do not have to worry about being fined.
Because it was made very clear at the hearing.
The tax commissioner mainly looks at the right to use the grain and the final direction of the benefits. If you give it to others to avoid the penalty tax, that's fine. But if the tax commissioner finds that the final benefit of the grain you gave away goes into your pocket, or that you are using the grain, then you will be fined.
In addition, these two bills have now become symbols of the Legislative Council’s authority, and Fu Bi will not give in easily.
At this point, the powerful and wealthy knew that there was nothing they could do to save the situation, so more and more households started selling their grain.
In the evening, as the sun was setting, crows were cawing on the old tree in the Chai family compound, adding a touch of sadness to the wailing coming from the yard.
But I saw a white-haired old man looking at the granary in front of him that was as neatly arranged as a chessboard, crying loudly, "Food! My food! Ah——!"
As he shouted, his thin body seemed to be shaking in the evening breeze.
“Daddy!”
"grandfather!"
Several young people behind him immediately rushed forward and supported the old man.
"Dad, if the food is gone, it's gone. We still have the land! As long as the land is not lost, it's fine."
"Grandpa, my father is right. As long as we have green mountains, we will not be short of firewood."
Encouraged by several younger generations, the old man suddenly stood up straight and said, "You're right, we have fields! Ten thousand hectares of land, we can reclaim them in just one year. What are you afraid of?"
"Yes! We have nothing to fear. Besides, no one can say a word about how much land we buy in the future."
"Well said! What's the point of a mere grain? We can exchange grain for money, and then use the money to buy land. Our grain will only become more and more abundant. Food. I have lived to this age, and this granary has always been full. It has never been empty. I am ashamed of my ancestors!"
finally!
These powerful people completely gave up struggling and took out all the food in the warehouse.
They dare not gamble that the tax commissioner will not be able to find out, because the cost is too high. Once discovered, it may not be as simple as a fine. If they are charged with treason, the whole family will be killed.
This was also the first time in history that landowners began to empty their granaries.
As a result, a grand scene appeared in the suburbs of the capital.
It wasn't raining, but the roads were filled with food, stretching as far as the eye could see.
This amount of food is really overwhelming!
Even the powerful themselves were frightened.
The ministers in the court also rushed to the suburbs to watch this grand spectacle.
It can be seen that behind this natural disaster, there must be man-made disasters.
Zhang Fei also came to the suburbs with his wife to inspect. Looking at the endless grain train on the road, he couldn't help but sigh: "Sometimes, I really don't understand why they store so much grain and don't sell it for money?"
Xu Zhiqian said: "Maybe it's because I like it."
"like?"
Zhang Fei tilted his head and looked at Xu Zhiqian.
Xu Zhiqian nodded and said, "When my father was an official in Xuzhou, I knew there was a big landlord in the area. He would go to the granary every day when he had nothing to do. All of his more than 40 granaries were full, and he would only sell the extra granaries. It was said that he couldn't sleep if the granaries were not full."
Zhang Fei smiled and said, "I see."
Food is the most important thing for people.
The ancients have always had a lofty belief in grain, and many people even have a grain fetish.
They hold on to grain and don't sell it, not because they are hoarding it, but because they just like it.
But considering that I will be fined 50% for nothing, I might as well sell it.
As I was walking, I suddenly met Cai Jing under a tea stall.
"Master, Master's Wife."
Cai Jing hurried forward and bowed.
"Cai Jing, why are you here?"
Xu Zhiqian asked curiously.
Cai Jing said, "I just finished discussing business with some landlords."
"Business?"
Xu Zhiqian looked at Cai Jing in confusion.
Cai Jing said: "They will sell half of the grain to our grain agency at a price of thirty-five coins, but we in the grain agency must ensure that the grain price remains stable at thirty-eight to forty coins."
After hearing this, Xu Zhiqian immediately said angrily, "These people are really abominable. They would rather benefit the government than the people. You didn't agree to them, did you?"
According to the budget of the Bian Jing Law Firm, the grain price will fall to less than 25 cents, mainly because they have too much grain in stock. But if the powerful people sell half of the grain to the Grain Agency first and at the same time ask the Grain Agency not to release the grain, then they will have the confidence to stabilize the grain price.
Cai Jing immediately sent a signal for help to Zhang Fei.
Zhang Fei smiled and said, "You can't say that. If the landlords sell at a price of thirty-five coins, the people will not buy it and will definitely wait. The price of grain will only fall further, but the price of grain cannot be too low. If it is too low, who will grow grain? It also costs money for the landlords to grow grain. Then both sides will suffer. This is why the Food Agency must ensure that the price of grain is not lower than thirty-five coins."
Xu Zhiqian curled her lips and said disdainfully: "When the price of grain was raised to 70 or 80 cents, why didn't anyone tell me these truths?"
Zhang Fei laughed dryly and glared at Cai Jing.
Cai Jing immediately slipped away under the pretext of something.
Not long after Cai Jing left, he met Hou Donglai again.
"Old Hou, why are you here too?" Zhang Fei asked curiously.
Hou Donglai said, "Oh, I'm going to the coal yard to discuss business."
Zhang Fei asked hurriedly: "What's going on?"
Hou Donglai said: "The price of coal has risen sharply recently, and the cost of our movable type workshop has been increasing."
Xu Zhiqian wondered, "Why would the price of coal increase during this festival?"
Hou Donglai said, "Madam, haven't you noticed that there are dozens of new iron workshops in the suburbs recently. More people are buying coal, so the price of coal has risen."
Xu Zhiqian asked again: "Why are there so many iron workshops?"
Hou Donglai said: "It has something to do with these projects. A lot of engineering tools are needed. Also, many people don't farm, but come to work on the construction sites. The wages are not low. The business of teahouses and taverns has improved a lot, and a lot of coal is consumed."
Just then, two young men came over, and one of them said, "Brother, I want to stay in Chengli to work, and don't want to go back to farming."
The older one asked in surprise: "Why?"
"We have a few acres of land at home, which is enough to keep us alive. Working in the city can help us save some money, and we don't have to worry about natural disasters. Isn't that good?"
"You are stupid! This job will be finished one day. If no one hires you, you will starve to death."
"Now that we have learned some skills, why can't we find a job?"
After the two brothers left, Xu Zhiqian said, "This looks a lot like the Hezhong Prefecture back then."
Zhang Fei just smiled and nodded.
As the powerful and wealthy released food, the turbulent situation was finally settled, but the people were full of complaints.
Because they already know that the powerful sell half of the food directly to the WFP, and the low food prices they desire are gradually becoming more distant.
Can they not curse the landlord?
They would rather sell it to the World Food Programme at a low price than give it to us. They are the ones bullying you, not us. You are so cheap.
A bunch of bullies who only bully the weak and fear the strong.
But the people had no choice but to buy the food even if they cursed. The key point was that more and more people were buying the food.
The price of food rose again, but eventually stabilized at forty cents. Of course, this was also the requirement of the Food Agency.
The happiest person among them was the emperor.
He could breathe a sigh of relief for the time being, as the situation inside had finally stabilized.
"Haha, a small warehouse tax has solved this eternal problem. Incredible, incredible! Come on, come on, I'll toast to you."
"Wait a minute."
Zhang Fei picked up the cup, but did not drink it. Instead, he said, "Your Majesty, we must divide the credit clearly."
Zhao Xu asked, "What do you mean?"
Zhang Fei said: "The real solution to the problem is not the warehouse tax, but your Majesty's determination. Your Majesty should take the first credit."
Zhao Xu smiled and said, "Don't flatter me. Forget the credit for the first place. As long as I am not considered the number one sinner, I will be satisfied. Come on, come on, do it."
"I salute your majesty."
After a glass of wine, Zhao Xu suddenly said, "When I was discussing matters with the Three Officials yesterday, they said that as long as the drought does not continue until early autumn, the tax revenue this year may not be reduced. The reason is that there are many more shops among the people."
Zhang Fei nodded and said, "Because the people are all working here, they are no longer self-sufficient and need to spend money to buy things. In addition, the imperial court's ban a few days ago has led to an increase in small workshops. Commercial taxes will increase rapidly. I expect this year's fiscal revenue to be much higher than last year."
"A lot more?" Zhao Xu asked, "But the money the people get is also given to them by the court. Could it be that, as the three officials said, this one thousand strings of cash can leverage thousands of strings of cash?"
“There are reasons for this, but it is not the main reason.”
"What's the main reason?"
"It's money."
Zhang Fei said: "The landlords released a large amount of grain, but they also received sufficient currency, but they did not have many places to spend the money. I predict that by the end of the year, there will be a shortage of currency in the market.
This year, when paying taxes, the people will definitely pay more in kind, rather than in currency, including the tax coins issued by the court. As long as the tax coins are not collected, the court will make a net profit of several million strings of cash this year. Then, the tax coins will be slowly handed over to the court next year or the year after. However, it is not certain. It depends on the situation of the currency in the market. If industry and commerce develop rapidly, the tax coins may be postponed, which is the case in Hezhong Prefecture. "
"I see. I see."
Zhao Xu was extremely excited after hearing this, and couldn't help but look up at the sky again, thinking to himself, God, you must make it rain!
If it rains, it will really turn decay into magic.
If the drought continues, even gods won’t be able to save it!
Zhang Fei seemed to see what he was thinking and said, "Your Majesty is so kind and righteous for the people, God will surely be moved."
Zhao Xu, however, did not have much confidence and said, "I hope so."
But Zhang Fei was very confident because he knew that the drought would not last a whole year, so they dared to do so.
If there is a drought for two years, he might become a criminal.
Zhao Xu suddenly said: "By the way, the Three Officials Envoy also gave me an idea."
Zhang Fei asked: "What's the idea?"
Zhao Xu said: "He hopes to expand the city and allow more merchants to build shops, so that he can provide livelihoods for more people. It just so happens that I also want to expand the imperial city.
He said that as long as the court planned the land first and then sold it to merchants to build shops, even if they spent money to buy houses and shops near the imperial city, the court would still make money, and the commercial tax would increase significantly. "
Zhang Fei understood immediately.
If you want to play with real estate, you can demolish here and build there, of course you can make money, but this is also very similar to Xue Xiang's style. He also played in Hezhong Prefecture, but he played with salt notes, tea and horses. He said: "Of course this is possible, but it is not possible to wait until after the disaster."
Zhao Xu nodded and said, "Of course."
Expanding the city is nothing, the key is that you want to expand the imperial city. Haha, those ministers are full of complaints and have nowhere to vent them. If you want to expand the imperial city at this time, they will definitely scold you. That would be weird.
Zhang Fei added: "Also, the imperial city can be expanded, but there is no need to expand the city."
Zhao Xu asked: "Why is this?"
Zhang Fei said: "Because I don't think anyone can attack the capital in two or three years, so we can just build outside the city. There is no need to expand the city wall and waste money. Anyway, our dynasty doesn't have a curfew."
Zhao Xu felt very happy to hear this and laughed out loud.
Just at this moment, a eunuch came over and whispered something in Zhao Xu's ear.
Zhao Xu frowned when he heard this and slammed the table hard, "How can this be possible."
Zhang Fei asked: "Your Majesty, what happened?"
Zhao Xu glanced at Zhang Fei and said with lingering fear: "It's fortunate that I listened to you and didn't go to war with Xixia."
After hearing this, Zhang Fei asked, "Could it be that the Liao Kingdom has made some moves?"
Zhao Xu nodded and said, "Just now, news came from Chanzhou that the Liao Kingdom plans to send a special envoy to the capital."
Zhang Fei heaved a sigh of relief after hearing this. He thought the Liao Kingdom had sent out troops, so he asked, "Could it be because of something else?"
“It’s very unlikely.”
Zhao Xu shook his head and said, "Because Liao seldom sent special envoys to the capital, usually there were problems, and they were all negotiated in the border states, so nine out of ten times, it was because of the Xihe border expansion. During the Qingli period, when our dynasty and Xixia had just gone to war, they took advantage of the situation and raised the annual tribute. This time they must be using the same trick again, taking advantage of the situation and hindering our dynasty from using troops against Xixia."
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